


the liminal spaces between you and me

by ElasticElla



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: -ish? kinda, Canon Compliant, Consent Issues, F/F, Femslash February, Post-Season/Series 01, depending on how you read kaelie, of varying degrees
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 20:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13689630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: Maureen stumbles upon the shadow world.(Or does she?)





	the liminal spaces between you and me

Maureen is alone. 

After everything her and Clary and Simon went through in high school, after all their planning for local colleges, it comes down to this: Maureen drinking in Central Park, alone. 

The ways things fell apart was _weird_ though- the whole Clary suddenly talking to invisible people, Simon randomly zoning out, and possibly both of them being on hard drugs. 

Maureen laughs bitterly, taking another deep swig. And now she’s back to picking out convoluted stories to cover up disappointing truths. In the end, Clary didn’t really mean they’d be best friends forever just like Simon didn’t really mean that she was more than a hookup. 

Whatever. College is all about reinvention right? And with a couple thousand students, she’s sure to make a few friends. Maybe even real ones. 

Maureen walks over the footbridge, heading to her favorite bench by the river. It’s too late- too dark- to see much of the view, but her imagination’s always been overactive. A light mist rolls in as she settles, the cooling temperature soothing. 

She could sit here all night.

It almost doesn’t feel like New York in this part of the park, far enough away that the city’s sounds can be ignored. The lamp above her goes out, shrouding everything in darkness. The nearest lights are mere pinpricks, and Maureen doesn’t feel afraid. A distant part of her is screaming to move, but something about being in this spot right now just feels like fate. 

She stares out at the dark river, can’t spot where water becomes land, if it’s grass waving in the wind or small ripples. And as she stares a figure emerges from the water, a warm green glow in her hands and _oh_ , it feels like everything clicks into place. 

.

Maureen awakens on a bed of woven leaves. They’re unlike anything she’s ever seen, each leaf around half the size of her and still plush with water- somehow living. Maureen’s pretty sure she hasn’t been high- not on hard stuff anyways- in months, and no easy explanation comes to mind. 

“Hello fragile one, I didn’t know you would react so. I didn’t mean to overload your senses,” a melodious voice says. 

Maureen turns, and there’s the most beautiful girl she’s ever seen. The one that came out of the river dry, holding a ball of light. Her hair is wavy and woven with green, yet it still reminds her of rolling waves. 

“I’m Maureen,” she says, not entirely sure this isn’t a dream. “Sorry, what?” 

She smiles, displaying sharp little teeth that are clearly not human. The odd feeling is back at seeing them- instinctively knowing that she should be afraid, yet feeling completely calm. (Not a dream she suddenly thinks, too clear for a dream- and even her imagination has limits.)

“My name is Kaelie. Some humans are more attuned to our ways, making it possible for you to see me at all.”

“Where are we?” Maureen asks, looking around. Besides the bed, all of the plants are oversized and unrecognizable. Everything is unquestionably beautiful, so much that it almost hurts to look at for too long. 

Kaelie licks her lips, “I’m sorry I couldn’t heal you in your realm. We’re in the seelie realm, I hope that’s alright?” 

Maureen lets out a breathless laugh, eyes bright. “Hah that’s, no that’s fine. I mean, thank you for healing me?” 

Kaelie smiles, “There hasn’t been a human here since before I was born. Will you tell me of yourself?” 

“Sure, and you can tell me what a seelie is?” Maureen asks. 

Kaelie laughs, birds echoing her, tittering too high up for Maureen to see. “A fairy.” 

And that feeling comes back again strong, her grandmother’s voice warning her not to go playing with faeries. But that was because her grandmother didn’t want her wandering alone as a kid, not because she actually meant it. 

“Wow,” Maureen breathes, looking around once more. “That certainly explains why everything’s so, well, magical.” 

Kaelie smiles, pushing her hair behind a pointed ear. “Yes.”

“I’m going to have way more questions for you,” Maureen warns her, giddiness burning through her chest. 

“We’ll go back and forth then,” Kaelie says. “Why were you sitting in the park?”

“It helps me think, settle myself. Why were you on earth? Are there many seelies there? Are there other supernatural species? Do you-”

Kaelie’s soft laugh interrupts her, and Maureen’s neck burns, her mouth clicking shut. 

“It’s okay,” she says, eyes dancing. “We have all the time you wish.” 

And that descends into a conversation about how seelie time even works and then another seelie named Meliorn living on earth, and Maureen is too caught up in the magic to notice Kaelie never answered her first question. They speak of flora and fauna, stories and family. Maureen almost forgets she isn’t human sometimes, but then she’ll smile or speak of fates written in the stars or lay down in a field- a rest without sleep or words.

The realm’s light never dims nor brightens, a permanent dawn. Deep in the forest, there’s enough foliage for a night and in the meadows it feels like eternal spring. There’s no measure of time, and Maureen is happy for it- can live forever here. 

Kaelie tastes like cranberries and each of her kisses is increasingly addictive, Maureen quite literally would trade the world for them. There’s a new hunger on her tongue whenever Kaelie leaves her, but she never goes for long. 

Kaelie dresses her in flower petals and ribbons, makes her feel like a princess of the wild. They run through the forest together, they swim with the mermaids, they dance in the sunlight. Everything is mirthful, everything is done with a smile. 

Maureen is happy, her very soul unnaturally pulsating with joy. 

It isn’t good, it isn’t right. But Maureen’s long learned to ignore that tiny bit of herself, will go anywhere in the realm except to the river that could take her away from all this.

It isn’t good, but she’s happy. And Kaelie says seelies don’t ever give up- surely that would include her?


End file.
